Introduction

The outbreak of a severe respiratory disease [1, 2] at the end of 2019 has already been controlled successfully in China. This emerging infectious disease was ever named a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia (NCP), and it is a major threat to public health according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Then, this coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease was named as COVID-19 by the WHO. Genome sequences from samples of patients confirmed that a novel RNA virus originated from its natural reservoir host—bats [3, 4]. But an animal just represents an intermediate host [5]. And pangolins should also be considered as possible hosts since metagenomic sequencing identified pangolin-associated coronaviruses [6]. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a possible entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2 binding cell in humans. Here is a preliminary analysis of COVID-19 cases during Wuhan lockdown and travel restrictions on 23 January 2020 to 23 June 2020, which included total confirmed, in critical condition, deaths, recovered, and suspected cases in China.

Methods

Data Collections

Data were collected from January 23, 2020, the date of the Wuhan City lockdown and travel restrictions, to June 23, 2020. The information on total confirmed, in critical condition, deaths, recovered, and suspected cases was from the official website of the National Health Commission (http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqtb/list_gzbd.shtml), China.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 17 software with t test for comparisons between two groups. P values < 0.05 were considered to denote statistical significance.

Results

Data (Table 1 and Table 2) showed that there was 28,942 suspected cases on February 8, 2020, at the peak; then, it almost declined continually to only several cases. Total confirmed cases were more than 80,000 on March 1, 2020, but less than 84,000, and deaths were more than 3000 on March 4, 2020, but less than 4640, totally, thanks for the right public measures for COVID-19 in China, such as the Wuhan City lockdown and travel restrictions for isolation; positive screening and testing; and establishing a Huoshenshan hospital, a Leishenshan hospital, and a number of Fangcang shelter hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and a combination of Chinese and western medicine, and the launch of the clinical trials of antiviral drugs (Lianhua Qingwen, remdesivir, and chloroquine, etc.). Cases in critical condition decreased continually after the peak of 11,977 cases on February 18, 2020, and recovered cases increased continually to over 78,400 due to these right public measures and effective treatments (Fig. 1). In recent months, there are only 2 deaths and only about ten cases in critical condition.

Table 1 Data on COVID-19 cases in China during January 23 to June 23, 2020
Full size table
Table 2 Analysis of CIVID-19 cases during January 23 to June 23, 2020 in China
Full size table
Fig. 1
figure 1

The curve on analysis of COVID-19 cases in China during January 23 to June 23, 2020. T(1:10000): total confirmed cases; R(1:10000): recovered cases; D(1:1000): deaths; C(1:1000): cases in critical condition; S(1:500): suspected cases

Full size image

Discussion

So far, there were over 10 million confirmed cases in the globe after the pandemic of COVID-19 was declared by the WHO [7]. However, there were less 90,000 cases in China mainland. If compared with cases in major countries outside China, COVID-19 cases confirmed in China were earlier but less (definitely, P < 0.001). This is highly linked to positive and effective public measures in China. With increasing understanding on the epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics; treatment; and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients [8, 9], there will be no possible second pandemic in China except for only some domestic, imported, and asymptomatic cases. Here is a brief summary on these powerful measures for prevention and control of COVID-19, and it will be helpful to fight against COVID-19 worldwide.

Lockdown and Travel Restrictions for Isolation

Since increasing evidence shows that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts [10, 11], it is easy to understand that lockdown is very helpful to curb the spread of the epidemic. And, its effect of delaying and halting the outward spread of the SARS-CoV-2 was very positive [12], but it needs to combine with the control of transmission in the community [13]. Extending the statutory holiday and adopting a flexible working system to encourage residents to stay at home, cut off the transmission, and protect vulnerable individuals will effectively isolate the source of infection [14]. COVID-19 more likely affects older males with comorbidities and can result in severe and even fatal respiratory diseases [15], but there is currently no evidence of maternal-fetal SARS-CoV-2 transmission since no positive results were reported in testing on neonatal throat swabs and breast-milk samples [16,17,18].

Early Detection and Prohibition of Gatherings

Due to rapid transmissions, large-scale public health interventions need to be implement immediately in cities and rural regions with the pandemic [19]. All visitors were required to wear masks and to be detected by the temperature tests in the very beginning to prevent the spread of COVID-19 due to fever in 83% patients and cough in 82% patients [15]. And, local high-hazard regions had undergone door-to-door screenings for fighting against COVID-19. All confirmed cases and close contacts had been promptly quarantined and closed down for early detection of suspected cases. In many cities and communities, electronic proofs of access and health were required for all visitors to prevent imported COVID-19. A series of bans were issued for prohibiting gathering. Universities and middle schools carried out online courses. Since there were possible asymptomatic cases of potentially COVID-19 infection [20,21,22], it is very important for isolation of 2 weeks for those closely contacted with confirmed cases.

Releasing Information and Avoiding Panic

The epidemic information was released in time by radio and television, internet, mobile phone, and WeChat. The diagnostic methods and treating programs were unclassified, and experts were invited to popularize scientific propaganda so as to stabilize the mood of residents and avoid possible panic by effective psychological channels. Open letters were widely posted to the community to publicize the harm of COVID-19 as effective preventive measures. Especially, a healthy lifestyle which includes five core elements, “environment-sleep-emotion-exercise-diet” intervention [E(e)SEEDi], also named the magic “polypill” [23], is highly encouraged because of its improvement of one’s immunity (Table 3).

Table 3 “Environment-sleep-emotion-exercise-diet” intervention [E(e)SEEDi] and immunity
Full size table

Special Hospitals and Clinical Trials for Antiviral Treatment

In order to treat all COVID-19 patients in time, a Huoshenshan hospital, a Leishenshan hospital, and a number of Fangcang shelter hospitals [24] were established in Wuhan which were rare miracles, and significant medical supplies were offered for urgent needs, for example, N95 masks, protective clothings, and ECMO, and many medical teams and famous experts were sent to Wuhan. And, remdesivir [25, 26], a possible effective antiviral drug for the treatment of COVID-19, was imported. Of course, its clinical effect needs to be confirmed by further and large-scale clinical trials.

With the in-depth studies on clinical characteristics of COVID-19 [27]; the establishment of rapid diagnostic methods; integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine; screening specific antiviral drugs in the labs; the launch of the clinical trials on Lianhua Qingwen, remdesivir, and chloroquine due to effective inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo [28, 29], and other drugs; and rapid developing of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the developed iRT-ABCDEF program [30,31,32,33,34] for domestic, imported, and asymptomatic cases, rolling victory had been achieved in China. In addition, convalescent plasma therapy was well tolerated and could potentially improve the clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19 cases [35].

Conclusion and Prospects

Powerful public measures for combating COVID-19 were in time, rational, right, and scientific. These measures were confirmed to be very effective and are worth conducting worldwide including Brazil and Italy [36] and were highly praised by the WHO and many countries. It is time for global cooperation and information sharing [37, 38]. People should pay more attention to the role of laws on public health since Health in All Laws is a better strategy for global health. With the further studies on structures of the SARS-CoV-2 [39,40,41], and a SI(R) model on the COVID-19 pandemic [42], effective vaccines have been developed and now clinical trials are underway for better fighting against COVID-19.